

Charity
Limerick women shine at the Great Ethiopian Run in aid of Orbis Ireland
Limerick runners Great Ethiopian Run support for Orbis Ireland. Charlotte Nester and Suzi MacMahon from Limerick who took part in the Great Ethiopian Run 2024. Pic: Jenny Barker Photography
Suzi McMahon and Charlotte Nestor, two inspiring women from Limerick, joined over 50,000 runners in Addis Ababa for the Great Ethiopian Run, Africa’s largest road race

Running in aid of Orbis Ireland, Suzi McMahon and Charlotte Nestor’s efforts are part of a broader mission to raise vital funds for life-saving eye care in Ethiopia.
The duo made the most of the weekend, attending the pre-race Pasta Party, an iconic gathering for international participants. There, they had the honor of meeting Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie—an Olympic gold medalist, four-time World Champion, and a celebrated figure in long-distance running. Capturing a photo with the global icon, Suzi and Charlotte celebrated the fusion of Irish and Ethiopian spirit that defines the event.
In total, 48 Irish runners participated in the race to support Orbis Ireland’s mission of eradicating preventable blindness in Ethiopia.
Since 2008, Orbis Ireland has brought over 500 participants to Addis Ababa for the run and to visit life-saving eye care projects in southern Ethiopia. Together, they have raised over €1,000,000 for the sight-saving work in Ethiopia.
The Great Ethiopian Run is a 10km race that will see members of the Orbis team line up alongside over 50,000 competitors to celebrate Ethiopia’s national sport.
Each participant raised €4,500 for Orbis Ireland before embarking on the trip, and they are on target to generate €100,000 for the vital work of saving the sight of thousands of people in some of the poorest regions of southern Ethiopia. In 2024, the group of Orbis supporters is made up of employees from several companies 48 participants from A&L Goodbody LLP, AerCap, Aero Capital Solutions, AvAir, AviLease, CDB Aviation, Milestone Aviation, PwC Ireland, and friends of Orbis. These generous companies are sponsoring their employees, meaning even more of their fundraising efforts are donated to Orbis.
Orbis Ireland is part of Orbis International, a non-profit global development organisation working to eliminate avoidable blindness in the world’s most poverty-stricken regions. This is achieved by teaching sight-saving skills to thousands of eye care professionals on board the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital and in local hospitals, who then pass on their expertise to others.